Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

TELEGRAM TO G. V. CHICHERIN[1]

Written:Written on April 30, 1922Published:First published in 1964 inCollected Works, Fifth (Russian) Ed., Vol. 45.

      Printed from a typewritten copy.Source:Lenin
	  Collected Works,

      Progress Publishers,1976,

      Moscow,Volume 45,

      pages536c-537a.Translated:Yuri SdobnikovTranscription\Markup:R. CymbalaPublic Domain:Lenin Internet ArchiveYou may freely copy, distribute,
	display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and
	commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet
	Archive” as your source.

Thebest thing for us is another conference in about three
months or so. At the closing of the Genoa Conference do
not in any case undertake the slightest financial
obligation, do not make even a semi-recognition of the debts,
and do not be afraid of a break-up in general. Comrade
Krasin’s minority opinion shows that his line is absolutely
wrong and inadmissible. Regardless of the course andoutcome of the financial negotiations, once again bring out
strongly to the fore the question of the mutual obligation
to maintain peace, and support it even if it has the
unsatisfactory form given to it by Lloyd George.

[1]Thetelegram was received by the Politbureau of the R.C.P.(B.)
C.C. on April 30, 1922, and sent on to G. V. Chicherin. It was
in reply to Chicherin’s telegrams saying that the “Russian
question” was to be referred to another conference to be held within
three months, and also in reply to Chicherin’s telegrams
communicating L. B. Krasin’s minority opinion on the talks at the
Genoa Conference. Krasin suggested some serious concessions.

Inreply to Lenin’s telegram, Chicherin admitted that another
conference within three months was preferable to a complete
break-up, but added: “Lloyd George is working for an agreement
with us, and three months from now the situation in Britain may
be much worse for us.” Ho went on to say that the Allies were
prepared to have concrete discussions on granting Soviet Russia
a credit only after the Soviet Government agreed to pay
compensation to all foreigners who had formerly owned property in
Russia (Central Party Archives of the Institute of Marxism-Leninism
of the C.P.S.U. Central Committee).